Howa 1500 bolt knob replacement.......

[Hunter07]

The Howa 1500 bolt knob on my rifle feels 'too small' to me and seems kinda clumsy to use. So I ordered a larger 'tactical' bolt knob from Howa to replace it.

Of course, I failed to give my rifle a good close look before I ordered it.

The new bolt knob comes with 3 set screws to secure it to the bolt arm. However, the factory bolt knob & bolt arm, is machined as one piece.

Should I just say 'screw it' and not use it or, could a competent gunsmith machine the factory bolt knob down to the diameter of the bolt arm, and install the larger bolt knob. If that can be done, I think I'd want it permanently mounted so it couldn't work loose.

Here's a pic with the bolt knob that's on my rifle (I have the 'Greyscale' version of this). Click the second dot under the pic, to see the larger bolt knob on the Greyscale rifle. That is what I want on my rifle.
https://www.howausa.com/rifles/apc_rifle/

Thank you for any help and ideas you may share.

[Hunter07]

I have the 'black & grey' rifle at this link but, it has the bolt knob of the 'red, white & blue' rifle. See the difference between the bolt knobs?
https://www.legacysports.com/wp-cont...FIdSFg#page=16

This is the bolt knob that I ordered.
https://www.legacysports.com/catalog...Mz6_pJE8FIdSFg

[Hunter07]

Really? Nobody?

[Czubek]

That's a nice looking rifle.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you.

Brian

[Hunter07]

Originally Posted by Czubek

That's a nice looking rifle.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you.

Brian

Thank you & I understand but, of all the members here, nobody knows?

[Hunter07]

If 'official', I'm an idiot.

Last night, just before I went to bed, curiosity got the best of me. I grabbed the bolt knob, my bright 'pen light' and the magnifying glass. Looking over the bolt knob, I couldn't see anything that looked 'odd'. I turned it so the hole where the bolt arm goes and shined the light in there, and looked through the magnifying glass. WTF? I see a 'cavernous space' and a couple what look to be O-rings.

Hmmm...maybe those three screws aren't 'set screws' like I though? I grabbed the allen wrench and removed the three screws.

Sure as hell, the inside of the bolt knob, is machined/cast, with a space large enough to surround the original bolt knob and the o-rings go into little grooves. Once the screws are tightened down, pressure is put on the o-rings to lock the larger bolt knob into place.

[Czubek]

So the "O" rings hold the knob on and not the screws themselves? That's a neat way to do that.

Brian

[Hunter07]

Originally Posted by Czubek

So the "O" rings hold the knob on and not the screws themselves? That's a neat way to do that.

Brian

I'm thinking the 'pressure' of compressing the o-rings, insures to keep the bolt knob from turning....no matter how tight the screws are.